Your fleet running reports

[Jimexpl]

Dim dashboard lcd strip fixed. 2 mins to remove the cluster, 10 seconds to remove blown bulb, 5 mins to walk to my shed and locate a spare. 1.5 mins to plug cluster in and test, 30 seconds to put cluster back in dash


I know it’s not that quick compared to some of the modern suvs, but still amuses me seeing a 170mph speedo and 8k Rev counter while the view out of the screen is like being sat in a truck.

Does it actually rev to 7k? My E70 4.8is redlines at 6.5k, not that I’ve tried bouncing it off the limiter.

[integrale_evo]

No idea. It changes up at 6500 in auto if mashing it, I’ve read the limiter is at 7 but not tried getting there. Seems a bit unnecessary when peak power is at 6200.

[integrale_evo]

Fao @mik - lowered it



It also amuses me greatly that it’s at some sort of weird technology crossover. You get digital tv, a cd changer which will also read mp3s, telephone connection, gps sat nav with dvd drive, but there’s also a cassette player hidden behind the screen

[tim]

Jagdate

Currently suffering from a intermittent bank 1 o2 sensor fault. Sometimes it's open loop, sometimes it's closed loop. At least this one you can see from the top of the engine bay and isn't hidden under all kinds of other yet-to-be-broken bits like the bank 2 one I had to get done by the garage. Will sort it this weekend, after spraying the crap out of it with penetrating jizz for a few days.

Biggest looking headache is the lower steering column, which was subject to a replace with newer version if the customer complains notice from Jaguar, but clearly never done on mine. It's got a bit too much play in it now, and they appear to be £450 and special order. Plus fitting.

None the less it plods on, and I still get enjoyment from owning it.

[Jobbo]

Audi adblue warning came on as I drove home from Jon’s yesterday. 53,200 miles on the clock; I was expecting it to come on and bought 20l a week ago, so pretty accurate timing. I’ll live with the warnings for a week and fill up next weekend.

[Sundayjumper]

Moving my MINI ramblings to here rather than bumping the purchase thread.

First off some mild amusement. I asked my wife this morning whether three MINIs is a mini collection. She said "no, it's a MINI club, maaaaaan" and I had to grant her that one

I'm back to thinking it's a head gasket. The car runs fine sitting on the drive, apart from the obvious leak from around the thermostat, but having filled it up yesterday and properly bled it to get the heater running nice and hot, not even five minutes on the road and the heater was stone cold again. It's possible that the thermostat was the original problem, leading to loss of coolant, then leading to overheating and blowing the head gasket. It's not over-pressuring while idling because there's no load on the engine and it's being released through the already-broken thermostat. Start driving and it blows it all out very quickly.

I've ordered a sniff test kit. That will hopefully confirm it one way or the other.

[mik]

I've ordered a sniff test kit. That will hopefully confirm it one way or the other.

Interested to hear how you get on with that. I'd heard garages talking about these, but had just assumed it was some expensive bit of kit that you'd only find in a professional workshop - had never even considered that you might be able to DIY.

[Sundayjumper]

A tenner from ebay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124672591099

The fluid reacts with excess CO₂ coming out of the header tank - the result of combustion gases being forced into the coolant - and changes colour. If it works, great, if not it will be an interesting experiment.

[mik]

@Sundayjumper Marvellous. I watch with baited, erm, vision?

[drcarlos]

Moving my MINI ramblings to here rather than bumping the purchase thread.

First off some mild amusement. I asked my wife this morning whether three MINIs is a mini collection. She said "no, it's a MINI club, maaaaaan" and I had to grant her that one

I'm back to thinking it's a head gasket. The car runs fine sitting on the drive, apart from the obvious leak from around the thermostat, but having filled it up yesterday and properly bled it to get the heater running nice and hot, not even five minutes on the road and the heater was stone cold again. It's possible that the thermostat was the original problem, leading to loss of coolant, then leading to overheating and blowing the head gasket. It's not over-pressuring while idling because there's no load on the engine and it's being released through the already-broken thermostat. Start driving and it blows it all out very quickly.

I've ordered a sniff test kit. That will hopefully confirm it one way or the other.

When the thermostat failed in the corsa a couple of years ago it caused the expansion bottle to warp and not seal with the cap completely, not saying it's this but the symptom we had were on idle it would be completely fine warmed up and held pressure fine but as soon as you drove it it blew all the coolant out the poorly fitting expansion bottle cap, this was after a new cap and new thermostat and housing (came as a unit).
Point is it's amazing how much water can come out something seemingly small like your failed thermostat housing.
That said those £10 eBay sniff test kits are pretty good mine worked well (found no HG leak) on the Navara which also developed a leak that was a bitch to find.

[Ascender]

Dim dashboard lcd strip fixed. 2 mins to remove the cluster, 10 seconds to remove blown bulb, 5 mins to walk to my shed and locate a spare. 1.5 mins to plug cluster in and test, 30 seconds to put cluster back in dash


I know it’s not that quick compared to some of the modern suvs, but still amuses me seeing a 170mph speedo and 8k Rev counter while the view out of the screen is like being sat in a truck.

That's peak BMW design for me. Many happy memories in cars with that layout or versions of - M Coupe, E46 M3, my mate's E39 M5...

[Jobbo]

Audi adblue warning came on as I drove home from Jon’s yesterday. 53,200 miles on the clock; I was expecting it to come on and bought 20l a week ago, so pretty accurate timing. I’ll live with the warnings for a week and fill up next weekend.

I decided I didn't want to live with the nagging each time I start the car so I topped up the adblue with 10l today - I think it has about a 17l capacity so wouldn't take the whole of the second 10l canister if I'd bothered to open that, and it's definitely less messy if you don't brim it because it splashes back. Since this forum is my record of when I top up, I even checked the mileage exactly: 53,284. The 1500 mile warning came on less than 100 miles ago though was still showing 1500 miles' adblue remaining. I guess I'll get about 7000 miles from 10l; I'll come back to this to check.

[V8Granite]

The TT felt funny just as I came off the M25 to Gatwick, got to the long stay car park and the tyre is pretty much flat. Arse, thatll be a nice job at 9pm tomorrow night, fingers crossed it doesn’t rain.

Dave!

[Sundayjumper]

If the fluid turns yellow it indicates a blown head gasket.

A715C339-53A3-4017-A177-3BA003C8C49B.jpeg (33.45 KiB) Viewed 841 times

1E294E2B-7287-452F-9DDC-9D82B3EBC5BD.jpeg (32.98 KiB) Viewed 841 times

I’d better get those parts ordered !

[V8Granite]

This will be simple.

Take a deep breath, blow into the top and then push the broken fluid back into the system.

Dave!

[Sundayjumper]

The TT felt funny just as I came off the M25 to Gatwick, got to the long stay car park and the tyre is pretty much flat.

Is it only flat at the bottom ?

[Mito Man]

This is a rare case where you want to have blue balls

[mik]

If the fluid turns yellow it indicates a blown head gasket.


A715C339-53A3-4017-A177-3BA003C8C49B.jpeg


1E294E2B-7287-452F-9DDC-9D82B3EBC5BD.jpeg


I’d better get those parts ordered !

That looks pretty conclusive!

[Gavster]

If the fluid turns yellow it indicates a blown head gasket.


A715C339-53A3-4017-A177-3BA003C8C49B.jpeg


1E294E2B-7287-452F-9DDC-9D82B3EBC5BD.jpeg


I’d better get those parts ordered !

That'll be it then!

[Rich B]

My low coolant message came on yesterday, so I popped and got a top up this morning. I put it in earlier and was rewarded with a nice puddle under the car and no coolant in the tank. Balls.

I've just dropped the car off at my local Indy (thankfully in a farm only about 500m away) - hopefully it's just something simple like something come undone, otherwise I might have to get warranty's etc involved?